Bellamy 'overwhelmed' by support amidst private battle

Bellamy was in the coaches box at Suncorp Stadium as the Storm rallied in the first half against the Dolphins, before being overrun in the second to lose 28-10, consigning Melbourne to their seventh straight loss, their worst ever losing streak.

After the game, Storm General Manager Football and long-term friend of Bellamy Frank Ponissi stepped in to join captain Harry Grant in the post-match press conference, addressing the game and the past 48-hours since news of Bellamy’s diagnosis was made public.

“It's been a big week for Craig, it's been a couple of big weeks so, with respect, he was never coming in tonight, win, lose or draw,” Ponissi said.

“He's been through a lot with his family, so we gave him an opportunity just to not worry about (tonight), but in terms of the way he coached (tonight), you wouldn't think there was anything there (from) the last few days he's gone through, (it) is quite remarkable.

“It's tough, but you've just watched him, he's just purely about the team and trying to fix it, fix where we're going wrong and trying to get a win.

“He's already working on next week, and that's what we love about him.

“He's overwhelmed by the support and so is his family.

“It's happened so quickly the last 24-48 hours.

“(His message) would probably be he's just exceptionally grateful for all the support he's received both from within the club, and especially externally from lots of clubs and lots of people you wouldn't think you'd hear from and all around the world as well.

“It's been quite remarkable, but he just wants to now just focus on coaching and focus on getting us back winning and that's all his major focus is.”

Across the NRL, rival coaches have shared their best wishes, while former Storm players including Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater have expressed their willingness to step in and help Bellamy at the club if he ever felt the need to ask for assistance.

“You do things that you care for and Craig Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm are two things that I really care for,” Slater said on Channel Nine prior to the match against the Dolphins.

“If Craig Bellamy ever asks me for a hand, he wouldn't have to ask twice, put it that way.”

As captain, Grant has been working hard to turn his side’s fortunes around and has been quick to highlight the effort Bellamy had been putting in, previously bristling at suggestions he had lost the buy in of the playing group.

Although the side put in a much-improved performance against the Dolphins, leading the game at 10-4 at the half-time break, Grant said Bellamy and the team would focus on ‘business as usual’ to try arrest their slide.

“I think it's a whole club matter and I think everyone would sort of understand that element of respecting Craig's privacy and just getting on with business as usual like Craig's doing,” Grant said.

“I think we can all of respect that as a rugby league community, wrap our arms around it and just really roll with what's next.

“Like Frank said he's looking forward to next week and really righting some wrongs and as a playing group we just got to really buy into that and back him up by working hard at training and transferring that into a performance.

“I think we missed an opportunity there tonight, I think we put ourselves in a good position but certainly missed an opportunity.

“It's been a bit of a story, this little run of losing games.”

Back at home at AAMI Park next week and hosting top-three side Wests Tigers, Ponissi said Bellamy was up for the coaching challenge ahead next Sunday and beyond.

“The fire's in the belly,” Ponissi said.

“It's been hard for him the last few weeks with the news and finding out, but he's as committed as ever.

“(You) just had to be in that dressing room now … just to see the passion he's got and the commitment …

“He doesn't like where we are at the moment, none of us do, and he works as hard as he's ever done before.

“Hee's got a great group of assistants with him, we have got a wonderful football staff and we're all hurting and frustrated too.

“We're certainly not going to be throwing in the towel, we're going to work even harder and looking for that (next) win and I'm sure once we get that win we can, we can hopefully get on a run.”